VA Disability Benefits Calculator
Last updated: September 2026
Part of our Ratings & Compensation guides
VA Disability Pay Rates and How VA Math Works
About 6.3 million veterans receive VA disability compensation. Many of them aren't sure how VA arrived at their rating or their monthly payment. The most common surprise is that VA ratings don't add up the way you'd expect. A 30% rating and a 20% rating don't make 50%.
This guide covers the 2026 pay rates, how VA combines multiple ratings, how the bilateral factor works, and what else can change your monthly payment.
How VA Disability Ratings Work
VA rates each service-connected condition from 0% to 100%, in steps of 10%. The rating reflects how much the condition affects your health and your ability to work.
A 0% rating means VA agrees your condition is connected to your service, but it doesn't pay monthly compensation. A 0% rating still matters. It can qualify you for other benefits, and it makes it easier to ask for an increase if the condition gets worse later.
If you have more than one condition, VA combines your ratings into one overall rating. That combined rating, plus your dependents, sets your monthly payment.
2026 VA Disability Pay Rates
The 2026 rates took effect December 1, 2025, and were first paid in January 2026. They include a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
Monthly VA disability pay by rating and dependents (2026)
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | With spouse and 1 child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | — |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | — |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 |
At 10% and 20%, VA pays the same amount whether or not you have dependents. Rates effective December 1, 2025. For more children, dependent parents, or a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance, see VA's full rate tables.
Source: VA disability compensation rates
How dependents change your pay
Extra pay for dependents starts at a 30% combined rating. If you're rated 10% or 20%, your payment stays the same no matter how many dependents you have.
At 30% and above, VA pays more for a spouse, children, and dependent parents. For example:
At 30%, a veteran with a spouse gets $617.47 a month, or $65.00 more than a veteran alone.
At 100%, a veteran with a spouse gets $4,158.17 a month, or $219.59 more than a veteran alone.
Children under 18 add to your payment. So do children ages 18 to 23 who are in a qualifying school program. If your spouse needs help with daily activities and receives Aid and Attendance, VA adds another amount. At 100%, that's $201.41 a month.
If you get married, have a child, or a child ages out, tell VA right away. Late changes can lead to underpayments or to overpayments you'll have to pay back.
How the yearly COLA works
By law, VA raises compensation by the same percentage as Social Security each year. The increase is automatic, so you don't need to apply. Recent adjustments:
2023: 8.7%
2024: 3.2%
2025: 2.5%
2026: 2.8%
For a veteran rated 100% with no dependents, the 2026 COLA raised monthly pay from $3,831.30 to $3,938.58, an increase of $107.28.
How VA Math Works: Combining Your Ratings
VA doesn't add your ratings together. Instead, it uses the combined ratings table. The idea is that each new rating applies only to the part of you that isn't already rated as disabled.
Here's how it works with a 30% rating and a 20% rating:
Start with the highest rating: 30%. That leaves you 70% "not disabled."
Apply the next rating to what's left: 20% of 70 is 14.
Add the two: 30 + 14 = 44.
Round to the nearest 10: 44 becomes 40%.
So 30% and 20% combine to a 40% rating, not 50%.
How rounding works
VA only rounds once, at the end. Your final combined value is rounded to the nearest 10%, and values ending in 5 round up. For example:
44% rounds down to 40%.
45% rounds up to 50%.
64% rounds down to 60%.
65% rounds up to 70%.
This is why one small rating change can move your pay up a whole level, or not change it at all.
The Bilateral Factor
The bilateral factor applies when you have ratings for both arms, both legs, or matching muscles on both sides of your body. VA gives these a small boost because losing function on both sides is harder than losing it on one side (38 CFR 4.26).
The bilateral factor does not add 10% to your overall rating. Here's what VA actually does:
Combine the ratings for the paired limbs first.
Add 10% of that combined value to it.
Treat the result as one rating and combine it with your other ratings.
Example: A veteran is rated 30% for PTSD and 10% for each knee.
Without the bilateral factor: 30%, 10%, and 10% combine to 43%, which rounds down to 40%.
With the bilateral factor: The two knees combine to 19%. VA adds 10% of 19 (1.9), for about 21%. Combining 30% and 21% gives 45%, which rounds up to 50%.
In this example, the bilateral factor raises the rating a full level, from 40% to 50%. With no dependents, that's the difference between $795.84 and $1,132.90 a month.
How to Read VA's Rate Tables
If you'd rather check the numbers yourself, VA's rate tables work in two steps.
Step 1: Find your basic rate. Find your combined rating across the top of the table and your dependent status down the side. The number where they meet is your basic monthly rate.
Step 2: Add any extra amounts. Basic rates already include one child. For each additional child, or for a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance, use the "Added amounts" table.
VA gives this example: a veteran rated 70% with a spouse and three children under 18, whose spouse receives Aid and Attendance.
Basic rate (spouse and 1 child): $2,074.45
Second child: +$76.00
Third child: +$76.00
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance: +$141.00
Total: $2,367.45 a month
Other Things That Can Change Your Payment
Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
TDIU pays you at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is lower. It's for veterans whose service-connected conditions keep them from holding a steady job. To qualify under the standard rules, you need one of these:
One condition rated 60% or higher, or
Two or more conditions that combine to 70% or higher, with at least one rated 40% or higher.
Temporary 100% ratings
You may get a temporary 100% rating in two situations:
You're in the hospital for more than 21 days for a service-connected condition.
You need time to recover after surgery for a service-connected condition.
These ratings last only as long as the hospital stay or recovery period.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC is extra pay for very serious disabilities, like the loss of a limb, blindness, or needing daily help from another person. Levels are labeled by letter, from SMC-K to SMC-T. For example:
SMC-K adds $139.87 a month for certain losses, such as the loss of use of a hand or foot. It can be added to any rating from 0% to 100%.
SMC-L pays $4,900.83 a month for a veteran alone, about $962 more than the 100% rate. It covers situations like loss of use of both feet or needing daily help with basic needs.
Higher levels pay more. SMC-R, for veterans who need daily health care services at home, pays more than $9,800 a month.
See all levels on VA's SMC rate tables.
Permanent and Total (P&T) status
A P&T rating means VA considers your condition totally disabling and not expected to improve. VA doesn't schedule routine reexams for P&T ratings. P&T status can also open benefits for your family:
CHAMPVA health coverage, for family members who aren't eligible for TRICARE.
Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) for school or training.
State benefits, such as property tax exemptions in many states.
Military retirees: CRDP and CRSC
Military retirees used to have their retirement pay reduced by the amount of their VA pay. Two programs now let many retirees receive both:
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) is for retirees with a VA rating of 50% or higher.
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is for retirees with disabilities caused by combat or combat-related training.
If you qualify for both, you have to choose one. DFAS explains the rules.
Back pay
If VA approves your claim after a long wait, you'll get back pay starting from your effective date. VA pays each month of back pay at the rate that was in effect that month, not at today's rate. Your effective date is usually the date VA received your claim. Filing an Intent to File (explained below) can move that date earlier.
How to Request a Rating Increase
If a service-connected condition gets worse, you can ask VA to increase your rating.
File an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966). This locks in your effective date for up to one year while you gather evidence.
Get current medical evidence. Recent records that show the condition has gotten worse are the most important part of your claim. Test results and measurements carry more weight than general notes. Your C-file shows what VA used for your current rating.
Add statements if they help. People who have seen your condition get worse can use VA Form 21-10210 (Lay/Witness Statement). You can describe how it affects your daily life on VA Form 21-4138 (Statement in Support of Claim).
File your claim using VA Form 21-526EZ, or file online at VA.gov.
Attend your C&P exam if VA schedules one. Missing it can lead to a denial.
Know the risk before you file. A new exam can lead to a lower rating as well as a higher one. The main exceptions are ratings that have been in place for 20 years or more, which are protected, and P&T ratings.
For current wait times, see How Long Does a VA Claim Take?
If you disagree with VA's decision
You have three options:
Supplemental Claim. Submit new evidence. You can file at any time, but filing within one year of the decision protects your effective date.
Higher-Level Review. A senior reviewer takes a second look at the same evidence. You must file within one year of the decision.
Board Appeal. A Veterans Law Judge reviews your case. You must file within one year of the decision.
A VSO can help you choose the right option and file it for free.
Taxes and Other Benefits
Taxes. VA disability compensation isn't taxable income. That includes SMC and CRSC (IRS Publication 525).
Social Security. You can receive VA compensation and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) at the same time without either one being reduced. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is different. It's based on need, so VA compensation counts as income and can lower your SSI payment.
Long-term stability. For many veterans, especially those rated P&T or those whose ratings are protected after 20 years, VA compensation is steady, inflation-adjusted income for life.
State benefits. Many states offer extra benefits to veterans with a disability rating. These can include property tax exemptions, free or reduced-cost hunting and fishing licenses, and education benefits. Most require you to apply, so check with your state veterans affairs office.
Conclusion
Your VA payment depends on your combined rating, your dependents, and a few special rules like the bilateral factor. Understanding the math helps you know what to expect and whether a rating change is worth pursuing. For help with your specific claim, your local VSO can represent you for free.
Trying to make sense of your rating or your payments? Ratings math and VA rules can be confusing, even when you've read everything. Schedule a free consultation and we'll walk through it together.